Article handling and sorting apparatus



May 2, 1961 D. R. CRAIG ETAL.

ARTICLE HANDLING AND SORTING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet l I Filed Dec. 30, 1954 IN VENTORS,

ATTORNEY DWIN R. CRAIG GREGORY J. HARMON DANIEL. E. HOUGHTON CHARLES W. HURLEY MOE May 2, 1961 D. R. CRAIG ETAL ARTICLE HANDLING AND SORTING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 30, 1954 FIG. 3

I80 84 I 176 I86 I88 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

I70 I74 840. I 2

INVENTORS DWIN FI. CRAIG GREGORY J. HARMON DANIEL E, HOUGHTON CHARLES W- HURLEY ATTORNEY panying drawings in which:

We SW95... atch? 2,952,405 V Annc n HANDLING AND sonrnso APPARATUS Dwin Craig, Falls Church, Van, Gregory J. Harmon,

B thesda, Md; Daniel E. Houghton, Arlington, Va. oversize envelopes or other fiat mail fmm the partially and Charles W. Hurley, Gaithersburg; Md., a'ssig'r'iors to Reed Research, Inc., Washington, D.C., a corporatlon of Delaware f I Filed Dec. 30, 1954, Ser. No. 478,694

1 Claim. (Cl. 209-91) This invention relates to article handling and sorting apparatus. More specifically, it is concerned with apparatus for handling and sorting articles such as mail according to, predetermined classifications. It particularly concerns the separation of large envelopes from standard size envelopes.

Field of the invention Postal authorities are constantly under pressure from i the public to process mail and to deliver it to the addressee in the minimum possible time. The handling of mail between the original posting and final delivery involves a complex series of operations and there are continual development programs sponsored by postal authorities,

' mail handling equipment firms, and othergroups aimed at developing equipment or procedures 'Which may elim-- inate or reduce the time required to carry out one or more of the operations required to process mail from the sender to the receiver.

Objects A principal object of'this invention is the provision of new apparatus for the handling and sorting of articles, particularly mail. r

ejecting all envelopes 'Whichhave a height above a predetermined minimum from a plurality of envelopes travelling at high speed in a vertical position along a substantially horizontal path.

Detailed description stantially vertical position. These conveyed envelopes then pass through oversize envelope separator means 4 and the envelopes which are of standard sizes leave separator means. 4 on conveyor belts to be spaced, stampsensed, sorted, stacked, and cancelled. 1

A major step. in mail handling is the separation of sorted mail delivered bypackage separator 2 onto conveyorbelt 162. This is accomplished in oversize separator 4 and is preferably preceded by a step of rearranging any envelopes which may be running along the belt 162 with their longest side in a vertical position rather than a horizontal position.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, belt 162 as it passes from beneath package separator 2 is provided with two vertically extending guide walls 166 which form between them the conveying channel 168 in which envelopes 84 travel being supported upon their bottom edge in a substantially vertical position.

An envelope knock-down device 170 is provided for rearranging envelopes, such as envelope 84a which may be travelling on belt 162with the short edge, rather than the long edge, resting on the belt. The knock-down device 170 comprises a plurality of chains or heavy cords 172 which are fastened by their top ends upon the-frame 174 so that they dangle into the channel 168. The lower ends of chains 172 are about 5 inches above the top a of the belt 162 so that improperly positioned envelopes such as 84;: come in contact with the chains and are knocked down into the desired position with the longest edge resting on the belt 162 while envelopes of the standard size travelling in the desired position do not come in contact with the chains 172. Of course, oversize envelopes or other large flat mail such as 84b will contact chains 172 and may be flipped over from one side to another by the device 170, but this is of no consequence since this large flat mail is next. removed by the over- .size separator 4. q

Referring further to Figs. 2 and 3, the oversize separator 4 comprises a plurality of driven rollers 176 and idler 184. The arms 182 also carry a motor 186 which, by

means of the belt 188 and drive pulley 190, fixed to the a shaft 180, rotates rollers 176 in the direction indicated A more complete understanding ofthe new apparatus of this invention may be had by reference to the accom- Fig; 1 is a schematic plan view ofan article handling and sorting machine incorporatingthe oversize envelope separator of this invention.

Fig. 2is a side elevational view of the oversize en velope separator and associated envelope knock-down or" rearranging means.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed sectional view taken along" the line 33 of Fig, l-showing the oversize, envelope V separator unit of the articlehandling machine.

Referring in detail tov the drawings (see Fig. 1), an

article handling and sorting apparatus is shown schematically to illustrate 'a typical utilizationof theoversize envelope separatorof this invention. Unsorted mail is deposited on conveyors which empty into packageeseparator means 2, which removes packages and deposits envelope mail on high, speed'conveyor belts in a sub by thearrow on Fig. 3.

The idler rollers 178 are 'rotatably carried upon arms 192 pivoted at their lower; end upon the frame 184. Arms 192 are spring loaded so as to. urge rollers 178 toward rollers 176.

A hopper device 194 is fastened above the rollers 176 andv 178 to the channel walls 166. The hopper 194 catches oversize mail, such as envelope 84c,as it is;

ing channel open at both top and bottom, a belt beneath the bottom opening of said channel to support envelopes on edge confined within' said channel and convey the .envelopes along the channel, rollers supported on both sides of said channel upon axles which have their axes of rotation inaplane parallel tothe'plane of said channel and at an acute angle to said belt, the'bottom edge of the rollers being' a predetermined distance above said belt,

means to urge the rollers toward one another while permitting them to move away from one another when caused to do so by an envelope passing between them, and means to rotate at least one of the rollers, said rollers adapted to grip envelopes passing therebetween.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS I 645,450 Bohannan Mar. 13,1900 10 1,217,092 Hopp Feb; 20, 1917 1,369,377 Benson Feb. 22, 1921 

